Gardening for Wellness & Joy: White Strawberries

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What does it take to transform a bare paddock into a thriving food forest?
In this episode of White Strawberries, I’m joined by Jo Duff, co-founder of Kahikatea Farm, who shares the lessons she has learned after more than 20 years developing a three-acre food forest in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Jo and her family started with bare land — no water, driveway, or buildings — and slowly designed a productive ecosystem using permaculture principles, observation, and experimentation. 
We discuss passive irrigation using swales, designing for dry climates, growing plants suited to your conditions, and why Jo would plant more densely if she was starting again.
🌱 What You’ll Discover
 How a bare paddock became a three-acre food forest 
 Why observation should come before planting 
 How swales can capture rainfall and support tree growth 
 The importance of planting for function: biomass, fertility, food, medicine and habitat 
 Why food forests are about creating a place to live, not just growing food 
 Lessons Jo would apply if she started again 
Jo also shares some of the plants that have worked well in her Hawke’s Bay climate, including comfrey, prickly pear, tree lucerne, globe artichokes and other multifunctional plants.
🔗 Resources Mentioned
Kahikatea Farm – Food Forest Nursery, Plants & Education

Kahikatea Farm plants mentioned in this episode:
Peaches
Dwarf Peach

Prickly Pear (Opuntia / Nopales)
Thornless Prickly Pear

Comfrey (biomass plant)
Russian Comfrey

Lemon Sorrel

Globe Artichoke (biomass plant)

Cardoon (biomass plant)

Willows (woody biomass)
Examples include Willow ‘Hiwinui’ and Willow ‘Tangoio’

Tree Lucerne / Tagasaste (biomass and nitrogen fixer)

Alder (nitrogen-fixing tree)
Chinese Alder

Yuccas

Buttercup Bush / Senna

Eucalyptus (support species / biomass)

Explore all Kahikatea Farm plants
Certified Organic Nursery – edible, useful and food forest plants

Join Kahikatea Farm for some onsite education. 
About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.
Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.
Join Grounded – Be first to hear when the course opens.
Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

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Sam missed an episode! Why?
Taking time to pause, reflect, and reset is just as important in life as it is in the garden 🌱
In this personal episode of White Strawberries, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the podcast after nearly a year of consistent episodes. From humble beginnings (yes… five downloads and my mum falling asleep 😅) to growing a global audience, this episode dives into what’s working, what’s been surprisingly hard, and what’s coming next.
With the lead-up to Matariki, I’m stepping into a seasonal reset — reflecting on the past six months and intentionally designing the next phase of this podcast, my courses, and how I support you.
If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to build something from scratch — or you’re on your own journey of growth — this one’s for you.
🌱 What You’ll Discover
 What I’ve learned after 45 podcast episodes 
 Real podcast growth stats
 The hidden complexity of email lists, websites, and automation 
 Why I’m taking a month off and what I’m resetting 
 The vision behind my Grounded gardening course 
 I've reduced my grocery bill while eating high-quality food 
 Why growing your own food is becoming more important than ever 
 How you can shape future episodes through Q&A and voice messages 
🔗 References & Resources Mentioned
 Grounded Course (coming soon) 
 White Strawberries Podcast Website (in progress) 
🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes You Might Enjoy

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.
Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.
Join Grounded – Be first to hear when the course opens.
Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

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🌱 Before you plant another single tree, there’s one step that can save you years of frustration: observation.
In this Mastering the Garden episode of White Strawberries, I walk you through how to understand your land before you grow — from mapping shade and wind to testing soil, water movement, and frost patterns.
Using real examples (including why my mum’s feijoas fruit weeks before mine just 12 minutes away), we explore how small environmental differences shape what thrives — and what struggles.
This episode is your practical guide to working with your land instead of against it, using simple, often free tests to build a resilient, abundant garden.
🌿 If you’ve ever felt like you don’t have a “green thumb,” this might be the missing piece.
🌱 What You’ll Discover
 How to map shade across seasons and use it to your advantage 
 What wind patterns reveal about plant placement and disease risk 
 How frost moves through your land — and how to work with it 
 Simple ways to observe water flow, drainage, and waterlogging
 Easy at-home soil tests (including structure and moisture checks) 
 How weeds can give clues about your soil conditions 
 Why climate zones (like USDA) are helpful — but limited 

🔗 References & Resources Mentioned
 Permaculture Research Soil Test Handbook — by Chris Trump & collaborators 
 iNaturalist (plant identification app) 
 Seek by iNaturalist (child-friendly version) 

🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes Referred to
 How I Saved My Garden from Summer Storms, Flooding and Wind (Episode 37). Look it up on your platform 🤗
About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.
Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.
Join Grounded – Be first to hear when the course opens.
Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

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Should we be using pesticides on our fruit trees? And if not… what do we do instead?
In this episode of White Strawberries, I’m joined by Matthew Priestley, whose work and thinking around ecological systems challenges and encourages us to rethink how we respond to pests in our orchards🌿
We explore what’s really going on when pests and disease show up, and why reaching for sprays might be missing the bigger picture. From airflow (including opening up a “wind tunnel”) to soil health, tree nutrition, and system design, this conversation is all about working with your ecosystem instead of against it.
If you’re growing fruit trees and wondering how to manage pests without pesticides, this episode offers a practical, grounded alternative rooted in science, observation, resilience, and long-term thinking.
 What You’ll Discover
 Should you use pesticides on fruit trees—or avoid them altogether? 
 What pests and disease are actually telling you 
 How airflow and pruning reduce pressure naturally for some fruit trees
 Why soil health and tree nutrition are foundational 
 How systems evolve as your trees grow and mature 
 What to do instead of spraying (organic and non organic pesticides)

Find Matthew on the BrotherWood site here and on Socials here.

Some of Matthew's favourite resources:
Products he mentioned (He has no affiliation with these):
Hortitech Foliar Protect
Hydrolysed Fish
Wood Vinegar

Book recommendations: 
Michael Phillips, The Holistic Orchard
Nicole Masters, For The Love of Soil

Education/Inspiration:
Permadynamics, permaculture based training, PDCs and short courses
Elaine Ingham - Soil food web
Matt powers - Regerating soil
Paul Stamets - Fungi

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love your support:
⭐ Jump into your podcast app and leave a rating & review
 💌 Send me a question or share your thoughts
 🌱 Tell me what’s happening in your garden right now

🔗 Connect with Me
📍 Website: whitestrawberriespodcast.com
 📸 Instagram: @whitestrawberriespodcast

May your strawberries be white and your soil full of carbon 🌱

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.
Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.
Join Grounded – Be first to hear when the course opens.
Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.

Ask a Question or Leave a Comment
Discover how to design a garden that produces fruit all year long using the power of guilds. In this episode of White Strawberries, I dive into the concept of plant guilds—groups of plants, animals, and insects that support one another—and how they can transform your orchard or food forest into a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem.
Learn why harvest gaps happen, even in productive gardens, and how understanding guild relationships ensures consistent yields, healthier plants, and richer soil. From observing microclimates to layering fruit trees with companion plants, this episode is packed with practical strategies for gardeners who want abundance without the stress.

What You’ll Discover / Key Points:
 Why gardens often have unintentional harvest gaps and how guilds solve this problem 
 The role of companion planting and supportive guild members in fruit production 
 Practical steps for designing a guild-based orchard or food forest 
 How observation and seasonal rhythms guide planting decisions 
 Ways to enhance soil fertility, plant health, and biodiversity through guilds 
References & Links:
📄🌳Fruit Trees Year- Round Free Resources.
 Previous White Strawberries episodes you might enjoy: Mediterranean Guild Gardening: Figs, Grapes, Olives & Companions | Mastering the Garden 

Permaculture: Explained | With Dr. Sez the Vet 

White Strawberries: How They Inspired This Podcast | Sparking Joy –

Subtropical and Topicals in a Cold Climate | With Steve Fawcett from Tropo

🌱 Keywords: fruit guilds, perennial gardening, year-round harvest, companion planting, food forest

About Sam – Learn more about the host of White Strawberries.
Support the Podcast – Buy Sam a Cuppa to help keep new episodes coming.
Join Grounded – Be first to hear when the course opens.
Ask a Question – Submit a gardening question for a future episode.